


Beach Party

by junuve



Series: We Foolish Vessels [11]
Category: Nier Gestalt | Nier, Nier Gestalt | Nier Replicant | Nier (Video Games)
Genre: Day At The Beach, Family Bonding, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, the most lovable jrpg party has a beach day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25180981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junuve/pseuds/junuve
Summary: The whole party has a day at the beach... by accident!(The sad dad has a moment to realize how much he loves the oddballs he calls a family. Takes place in the second half of the game.)
Relationships: Emil & Grimoire Weiss, Emil & Grimoire Weiss & Kainé & Nier, Emil & Nier, Grimoire Weiss & Kainé, Grimoire Weiss/Nier, Kainé & Nier (Nier)
Series: We Foolish Vessels [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543177
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Beach Party

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PondShrimp](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=PondShrimp).



> This was written for the Snow in Summer DrakeNier exchange, and more specifically, for PondShrimp! Hope you enjoy! <3

Seafront’s main street market had receded as the tides. The once vivid stream of commerce running down the city was dried up, and unlike the tides themselves, Nier wasn’t counting on the city rising again.

Just another reminder that their world was ending.

A few lingering jobs to fill had Nier back to wandering Seafront, getting a little lost, just like old times.

Better times.

“I think that rather rude customer was our last quarry today,” Weiss informed Nier, rolling his R’s to accentuate the _rude_ bit.

“Good,” Nier responded, his eye wandering over the sparsely stocked tables lining the street. He didn’t know if he could handle anything else today.

Weiss wheeled around to face Nier as they walked.

“Why don’t we stay at the inn for a bit. Rest up in a real bed, mmm?” Weiss sidled up to him.

Despite knowing that the old book was well-meaning, Nier couldn’t abate a sneer.

“And let Kainé and Emil sleep outside?”

Weiss rolled back softly, wearily, as he knew the conversation was over.

There was logic to Weiss’ insistence that at least one of the group should get proper sleep. But to hell with logic. Nier wouldn’t be able to rest like that anyway.

He continued to prowl down the main street. The few people out and about that crossed his path darted aside after catching sight of the severely scowling, greatsword-laden man with suspicious stains on his fur-lined leathers.

“I do believe we’re scaring the locals,” Weiss commented softly as he watched someone nearly drop their armload of produce while scurrying away.

If only it were a bit more lively in town… That’d be a change of pace. He didn’t care for the hushed whispers and hidden glares. Were things really that different now, or had Nier changed enough to earn a place next to Kainé?

Maybe he was just noticing it now.

“This is sad,” Nier spoke under his breath.

Weiss swung back around to face him. “What do you mean?”

He hadn’t really expected Weiss to ask.

“I dunno…? Sad that they have time to… gawk?”

Weiss inclined himself, hovering closer to study Nier.

“Does it bother you?”

Nier stopped walking, glancing over his shoulder and back down the clear street, out towards the docks where some sniveling idiots had demeaned his ethic.

“World’s ending, but people still have time to act up, I guess.”

“Is this about that cad back there? The one that asked you to ‘do a dance’ or some such?” Weiss asked, and without waiting for an answer, shared a thought that seemed to amuse him greatly, “I’m sure we could make _him_ dance, hm?”

“That won’t make me feel any better, Weiss.”

“You sure?” he could hear the smile in the Grimoire’s voice, “I for one would love to see the fool execute a musical number.”

Nier had to smirk at that, but the charm wore off quickly. “Look, I only took the damn job because I don’t have anything else to do.”

And that was miserably true. The stone puzzle that was supposedly a key to the Shadowlord’s Castle was still incomplete all this time after they’d gotten it. Not even Weiss, in all his mystical wisdom, could figure out what the hell “Sacrifice” or “Loyal Cerberus” meant.

Kainé and Emil faired no better in this guessing game. They were all aimlessly fighting, gambling along with Nier in hopes that odd jobs and movement across the region would kick up a clue.

But that long road could wind on and on and on.

For years. _Five_ , even.

Nier’s thoughts clouded every time he dared to think about the phrases. He was so close to figuring out how to get to Yonah, and yet…

Nier took a deep breath.

Maybe he needed to clear his head. The odd jobs weren’t helping him think after all… were they? He’d eventually have to admit to Weiss that he was right about the whole ‘refusing work during the mission’ idea.

“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Weiss pressed Nier for information.

“I’m fine Weiss,” Nier deflected the inquiries.

He’d been too reflective and quiet for too long. Weiss always got so chatty when he sensed a sour mood. The concern evident in the book’s tone made an inner part of Nier ache. His heart…? The old man doubted he could still feel that much.

“Well, then,” Weiss kept talking, deferring to him, “what are we to do? Mope around the streets of Seafront for the rest of our days?”

Nier couldn’t stand to be in Seafront a second longer.

“Going back to camp for now,” he decided.

Nier ducked into the tunnel that led out toward the shore from the main thoroughfare. The ocean’s roar echoed from afar through the earth, and slowly the winds strengthened, carrying the taste of salt.

Nier squinted his eye as he stepped into the light.

“’tis a bright, sunny day, wouldn’t you say?” Weiss conversed to fill the space, his optimistic tone forced, Nier thought. It didn’t fit him.

“Yeah…” Nier agreed nonetheless, letting the sun warm him.

High on the cliffs beyond, the lighthouse stood stubborn and blisteringly bright, wreathed in its spiraling, spindly steps. The old structure was watching over the port still, although its fires were unlit.

It was hard to imagine the place was empty now.

The lighthouse was now a reminder, Nier thought, more akin to a tombstone than a tower.

“I wonder if they ever got a new keeper for the lighthouse,” Nier pondered aloud.

“I do not know for sure,” Weiss responded, “but I think not, judging by the lack of light and apparent maintenance.”

“Maintenance?”

Weiss filled in, “well, the windows are cracked, for one thing. Some are broken, too. And I do believe the outside structure is now missing a step or two. Not a hopeful sign.”

Nier was surprised. “You can see all that from here?”

“Of course!” Weiss was annoyed by the mere question of his abilities.

“Huh…” Nier _was_ the one with the missing eye, he guessed.

Beyond the lighthouse and the cliffs, deep in the swells of the ocean, rising high into the sky, ruins of the ancients’ grand steel bridges crowned the horizon. If Nier squinted, he could just make out the dots of fishing vessels anchored around the bases of the structures.

It all made him recall the time the old fisherman had kidnapped him and kept him out at sea. Nier didn’t know if he categorized that as a good memory or a bad one.

The breeze off the seas rushed over the waves and up the beach, tangling in the scraggly plants clinging to the cliffs leading inland. Somewhere up beyond the ridge the camp was situated, and there he assumed Kainé and Emil were waiting, unless they’d gone off to hunt or otherwise.

Nier intended to go, but something was keeping his feet from moving.

He turned away from the direction of the camp to face the wind from the sea, letting it blow through the tangled clumps of his hair and the looser parts of his garments.

Despite the wind, the waves were gentle today, lapping gingerly across the smooth sands.

A perfect day to take someone to the beach, he thought.

…

He really needed to stop thinking.

Nier stood there for a minute, breathing deep, letting his sandals sink in, trying to calm himself. Weiss hung in the air beside him, angling sideways to stop the gusts from jostling him around or blowing him away.

Without a word and without deliberation, Nier unhitched his scabbard from the chains on his back and laid _Beastlord_ down. He loosened the straps of his shin guards, careful and meticulous as always to not damage the hand-crafted leathers.

Weiss would have quirked a brow if he had one. “What are you doing?”

He watched Nier walk toward the water.

“…hello?”

But there was no answer.

Nier stepped in, letting the waves come up to just below his knees. The water was surprisingly warm in addition to being gentler than it appeared.

He bent down, scanning the seabed, searching for something.

Weiss darted around him, curiosity eating him alive. He wanted to ask so many questions, but clamped himself shut. There was a particular aura permeating that shouldn’t be shattered by words, the Grimoire sensed.

Nier reached down into the water, carefully pulling something up from within. Weiss edged closer to inspect this mysterious object.

“…a shell?”

Nier considered the shell greatly, going over the ridges, how the colors dappled and changed as the whole was built over time. He liked this one, and so he pocketed it.

Weiss tilted to a side, quizzical. Nier was lent to random bouts of foraging and pilfering, he knew this, but never so… _reticently_.

Nier scooped up another shell between the waves, dipping it back in to rinse the sand off. He held it up and appraised its beauty, the surface smooth and mottled with spots of brown and gold.

He liked this one too, so in it went with the other.

As he started walking down the beach to look for more, Weiss cleared his throat loudly.

“Pardon me for asking, but why are we doing this, exactly?”

Nier waded for a moment before answering, "…helps me remember."

“Oh,” Weiss acknowledged that, floating along beside him dutifully. The Grimoire watched as Nier found another sea shell. After turning it over and seeing the scar across it, the man threw it back.

Weiss tracked the shell as it soared and finally popped the water with its landing, settling back to the seabed to become a part of the churning shore soon.

The two continued in relative silence, the only sounds being the rush of wave and wind and Nier’s legs as he sloshed through the surf.

Long ago Nier could recall the distant cries of gull and seabird, as he and companions, old friends, from a time so far away. In that murky past many sets of feet had traced up and down the sand and combed through this beach just like he was doing, all while keeping the cliffs and tunnels alive and chiming with banter and song.

Nier wondered what those old friends would think of him now? Going it alone so long, and now with the oddest of companions?

They’d probably think Nier was insane. And that made him smile.

“How do you like this one, Weiss?” he showed the Grimoire a candidly gorgeous spiraling shell of gold.

Weiss orbited around the shell, remarking, “I do love its sort of, hm, ruffled edges, would you say?”

Nier took another good look at it. “I dunno what you call that. We always just called ‘em knobbly.”

“We?” Weiss repeated.

“My wife, and well… others,” Nier answered.

“Oh, excuse me,” Weiss danced back from touching the subject, as usual.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Nier added that shell to the collection, and waded out a bit further, watching the sands churn as a slid back out to sea.

A bright spec of blushing orange caught Nier’s eye and he stooped again, grasping through the silt ‘til he found his mark.

He rolled back up, staggering as the currents took the sand from beneath his heels.

He flipped the shell around in his palms.

“You think this one will sell well?" he held it up for Weiss to see.

“You’re _selling_ these?”

“Well, yeah. What am I going to do with a bunch of shells?”

Weiss had no idea. “I just thought they were sentimental.”

“Don’t have those kinds of shell anymore,” Nier spoke dryly, showing Weiss the next one, “what about this?”

The Grimoire hovered closer, almost nosing into it. “Hm… I do find this a pleasing fractal pattern. I am appreciating this creature’s concise, crisp work on its markings,” Weiss tried his best to appraise the thing, but was drawing a blank, looking up at Nier finally. “Say, you have a knack for this, Nier.”

Nier nodded, putting the shell away.

The ritual proceeded down the shore for a while, Nier adding a few more to his collection as he combed the shallows.

As Weiss bobbed along beside Nier, he caught movement in the periphery. He put his back to the sea, wind buffeting him around as he scanned the dunes.

Someone was slogging through the loose sand toward them, and Weiss elicited a disapproving hum.

“Trouble approaches…”

 _Kainé_ approached, specifically, and looked none too pleased. She and Emil had been waiting on them for a while, to the point where she felt the need to go into town (which she _hated_ ) to check up on him. She followed the accounts of those who looked like they’d seen a bear walk through the market, and eventually heard that the ‘big scary man who kills things’ went to the beach.

And there Nier was, ass-up, splashing around in the water… _of course._

“Hey!” Kainé yelled out at the two.

Apparently the idiots thought playing on the beach like a couple of two year olds was a good use of time.

“What the hell are you doing?” Didn’t they have a magic stone puzzle to solve or whatever?

She wasn’t making much progress through the sand in her heels, so she kicked them off and carried them in hand.

Kainé continued to shout to the two, “you didn’t tell us you were headin’ out old man! Going senile or something?”

Nier could barely hear her.

Weiss yelled back, “WHAT?”

She grumbled and waited until she was within a few yards.

“I said,” Kainé repeated, heaving a breath in exasperation, “you didn’t tell us you were leaving town.”

“Huh?” was Nier’s eloquent response. He wasn’t distant in space so much as distant in mind.

“What are you _doing_ out here?” Kainé tried to break her question down as the old man just stared vacantly at her.

Nier eventually processed things and answered sheepishly, “oh. Sorry. I was just… getting shells.”

Kainé scrunched her face up. “…what?”

He avoided meeting his eye with hers, instead gazing at the waves grazing the bottoms of his culottes.

“You’re _collecting shells_? Why are you doing that? Do we need shells or something?” Kainé’s questions were valid, but Nier wasn’t particularly in the mood for them. “Didn’t Weiss say ‘no more odd jobs’?”

“There’s no reason,” Nier answered plainly.

Kainé screwed her face up further. She continued to watch him, an upset silence growing. She wondered why he wasn’t talking; why he was just standing there, dejected.

Kainé re-examined him, searching his features.

He looked really… sad? Tired? Upset? She was terrible at reading people, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

“Don’t we got places to be?” she asked another question, but this time less stringently.

“We hit a dead end, Kainé,” Nier didn’t even look at her when he spoke, “I don’t know where to go from here.”

Kainé tried to say something positive, “that never stopped you from going before.”

“You’re right.” Nier nodded in agreement.

But he didn’t step out of the ocean. Slowly, methodically, he started combing the shore again, looking for those shells.

A gust blew by, throwing back Nier’s sash and the ribbons laced around Kainé’s figure. Kainé watched Nier go about his business, her expression perplexed.

Weiss was _extremely_ uncomfortable. He butted in before Kainé could muster up another query, “I’ll have you know that it is _my_ job to pester Nier about picking up the pace, _hussy_.”  
“Oh, shut up, book,” she turned her attention away from Nier.

Nier didn’t even smile at the little tiff.

Kainé glanced back over to Nier, watching him wade further down. She switched her shoes over to the other hand as she shifted her weight. Her eyes started to dart around as the silence protracted.

It felt like she needed to do something, but what that was…? She had no clue.

“I’m gonna go… and…" she trailed off, “…sit over there. Tell me when you’re done.”

Kainé walked back up the beach, yet she could tell that Nier was watching her. She peeked over a shoulder, and she was correct. The old man was staring after her, forlorn as hell.

“Hey,” he began, a little more awkward than she’d heard him before, “do you want to help me… find shells?”

Kainé gave him a once-over.

“Weiss hates salt water,” Nier mentioned.

Kainé took in her surroundings, giving herself a second to process the request. “You want me to… _pick up shells?_ ”

Nier scratched at the nape of his neck, staring at the sands. “I dunno. I was… gonna sell some, maybe?”

“We don’t need money, Nier,” Kainé pointed out, “we made a shit load in Facade. Unless you just spent it all on weapons.”

“No. I didn’t,” he said, “…guess we don’t need shells.”

Nier just stood there, watching the water around his shins. Kainé also stood there, watching him watch the water around his shins.

Weiss groaned softly before loudly declaring, “well, I say we can never have enough money!”

Weiss hovered closely to Kainé, closer than he usually dared.

“Why don’t you help him collect shells? It looks like he could use a hand.”

Kainé seemed offended at the book’s mere presence in her vicinity, and recoiled as he _winked_ at her.

But Kainé could read between the Grimoire’s lines. He was right. _Again._ Damn it.

“Uh, OK…” she agreed, still hesitant. She tossed her shoes further up the beach, and then approached the water. “What are we looking for?”

Nier didn’t seem prepared for that kind of question. “Well, uh, you know. Ones that aren’t broken. Bright, patterns, big… you know,” Nier mentioned, rubbing his hands together.

She _didn’t_ know.

“I was just wondering if there was something particular. Whatever,” she brushed him off.

Kainé had seen the ocean plenty of times before they’d met, and even more during their travels, but… she’d never had any reason to actually _be_ in it.

She stepped in alongside Nier, staring down through the clouds of foam. The waves tugged on the shards of shell and debris resting on the seabed, rolling them over and under. She squinted, searching for something remarkable in the mess.

_Big, bright… patterns…?_

A small dapple caught her eye and she reached down for it, grabbing a fistful. She opened her hand, revealing a… bunch of runny clumps of sand. When she looked back into the water, her mark had vanished.

“Son of a bitch…”

Kainé jammed her hand down in the same spot to see if she could feel it, but all she did was kick up debris and bury whatever she’d been going for.

Well, that one was gone, she guessed.

She dipped down her hand again, grabbing a handful of chewed up shards and a piece of seaweed.

Kainé scowled. She was determined to actually _get_ one this time. Again, she reached out… and found one quarter of a complete shell.

_What the hell…?_

She poked around with both of her hands, and managed to snag a hold of something, dragging a stick out of the water. She tossed it back in, brow knitting.

Over and over she kept bringing up cracked little fragments or gnarled, ugly old things.

Kainé snorted, staggering around, squinting and scowling. Was that saltwater in her eye? She wanted to rub it but her hands were all covered in grimy shit.

She was sure she was just over-thinking it. Collecting shells couldn’t be that hard. Kids did it, right?

She wondered if Nier was watching her and cast a suspicious glance his way. But no. Of course not. He looked just as stupid as she did, stumbling about, digging through the surf. He came back up with something, stuffing it in his pockets.

But why was he so far away? He was walking even further away from her. Weren’t they supposed to do this together? Wasn’t this some sentimental shit?

After a minute, he seemed to know he was being watched as well, and peered down the beach, noticing Kainé. He tipped his head before standing up straight and walking back down the shoreline toward her.

Kainé huffed and resumed looking for shells. She had to find something good before he came back, or basically anything, just to prove that… well, she didn’t know what finding a seashell proved, but it’d be less embarrassing than winding up empty handed.

She squatted, swishing a palm over the sands, trying to feel for any possible shell-like object. But it was no use. She could hear Nier splashing closer. Still she had nothing. The gods of the shells had forsaken her.

Nier stopped short, observing her as she stood in place, continually trying to fish out a shell by dredging around in the shallows.

“What are you doing?” Nier asked after a rather advanced arrangement of expletives came out of her.

Kainé, from his vantage, was dripping and furious, glowering into the waters as if they were her enemy.

He watched her stab her hand down once more, pursing her lips as she saw she hadn’t gotten anything yet again.

She hurled the bits of shell back into the ocean, each of the lightweight pieces falling amusingly short of her herculean throw. She gave up on plucking something and just started… digging? For shells…? Nier was flabbergasted.

Kainé ceased her pawing and gave the ocean a stink eye.

Nier’s face wrinkled with amusement.

“ _Kainé…_ ” Nier addressed her, trying to snuff out any hint of a laugh.

“What?” she snapped and jerked her head up at him.

“You’re supposed to move _down_ the beach as you look, not sit in one spot,” Nier explained, adding a bit sheepishly, “sorry. I kinda… thought you would know.”

Kainé just stood there and glared at him. For a while.

And then Weiss burst out laughing.

The Grimoire had been _thoroughly_ entertained by the whole spectacle.

Kainé’s fury was fast and precise, and in one graceful kick she sent a spray of water up to hit Weiss. The book flung himself back, flapping ungracefully while making horrid noises as if he’d actually _inhaled_ the water.

“Nice,” Nier commented over the Grimoire’s melodramatic hacking sounds.

Kainé’s annoyance evaporated as she smirked over her shoulder at Nier.

“So, yeah, you move down the beach. And you don’t stir the sand around, either,” Nier clarified again for Kainé.

Kainé nodded a that, saying, “got it. We should move, yeah?”

“Yep,” Nier said, and then finally asked Weiss, who was still breathing funny, “are you OK?”

Weiss wheezed aggressively in Kainé’s direction. “I’m… FINE. Ahem. It just went in the wrong pages.”

He cleared his throat, inquiring of Kainé, “where is Emil, hussy? I’m worried that he hasn’t found us already.”

“I dunno,” Kainé answered with a shrug, “might be back waiting by the gate. Or he followed me but got distracted by a deer or butterfly or some shit… why?”

Weiss gave her a very judgmental cluck of the ‘tongue’. “ _‘Why?’_ she asks…”

“Hey, you go find him if you’re so worried, book,” Kainé groused at him.

Weiss rolled his eyes in retort before he whisked away, flying at an impressive clip to go and scout for the boy.

Nier watched the book soar high into the sky, a mere speck within seconds.

He inspected Kainé with a pinched face. “You just left Emil?”

“Yeah?” Kainé didn’t understand what the big deal was. “He’s fuckin’ strong! I don’t think anything could take him.”

Nier shrugged at that. “I suppose so. I’d still like you to tell him where you’re going, at least.”

Kainé let out an aggravated breath. “Look. I normally do I just… I forgot. He’ll be fine.”

“OK…” Nier let the matter rest.

The two eventually made their way further down the beach, Nier stopping them at a spot where he thought shells might be a little more abundant.

“See here?” He pointed to a divot in the trough running along the beach. “This little notch catches stuff. Might be something good in there. Or it might all be smashed to pieces.”

Kainé nodded and studied the denser swirl of debris.

“Just remember. You’re not trying to excavate the ocean. You just want to gently, lightly, softly grab the shell.”

Kainé grunted at him and continued to watch the currents. She caught a glimpse and went for it, excitement blooming as she realized whatever she’d just grabbed wasn’t a shard.

Was this… a shell?

She held her balled fist close to her face, opening up slow to reveal a tiny spiraling shell, oblong like some sort of mythical horn. She studied her catch further, noticing the square-cut grooves along its surface.

Sure, the thing did have a few chips and scars, but it was a shell!

Kainé showed it to Nier. “Check it out,” she said, holding up the little thing to eye-level.

“You got one!” he sounded proud.

It was funny to see him smiling about something so small like this. Kainé felt a grin creeping up her face from someplace strange and light. The darkness inside her _squirmed_ in discomfort.

_Good._

Nier showed off the shell he’d just picked up. It was a magnificent specimen, of a darker patina, coiled in grays and deep umbers. It was also twice as big as whatever she’d gotten.

Kainé narrowed her eyes, not echoing Nier’s proud sentiment one bit. She whipped back around, searching with renewed ferocity. Nier observed her, his brows pinched in concern as she sloshed forward, looming over the waters.

“Gotcha!” she crowed and pulled out fan of white. She jutted it at him. “Look at that.”

It was impressive, but more impressive was the speed at which she’d acquired it.

“Kainé, it’s not a competition,” Nier mentioned, endeared by the cocky grin he was faced with.

“Huh? I know that,” she scoffed, “I was just showing you the huge shell I found.”

“Alright,” he didn’t sound entirely convinced.

As the two compared _shell sizes_ , of all things, Weiss flew as a bird over to the camp, hoping to find Emil. He knew the lad would be simply _overjoyed_ to spend time on the beach with his friends, and it was a crime that he was missing out.

Unfortunately, Weiss sighted neither bone nor drapery around the fire or in the makeshift tents they’d erected. When calling the lad’s name didn’t work, Weiss turned his sensitive pages to detect any magic.

Weiss could feel barely any energy save his own, so he concluded that Emil was most certainly not around.

The Grimoire took off again, rising high above the brush of the coast before dipping down amongst the cliffs. Beyond the ridge the white stucco buildings of Seafront congregated around the harbor. He descended to a more comfortable height, shooting over the streets as they weaved together and split apart.

Though Weiss’ vision was quite good, it was not infallible, and so he reached out with magic again.

Weiss dipped under bridge, through arbors and arches, through the slots of gates, and over all the expansive rooftop dwellings, probing with senses unseen around every corner.

Emil’s magic was potent, so Weiss should have caught wind of it by now…

As he hovered over the main street, he was surprised to find that there was naught there, not in way of magic, boy, or… _anyone_. Most of the street was still and quiet, the only movement being the sway of threadbare awnings in the sea breeze.

This was odd behavior for the particular hour of day, Weiss thought.

He pushed aside any ideation of catastrophe and flew toward the harbor. As he approached the docks, drifts of magic mingled with the air. He followed these meandering currents and discovered they were wafting from the point. Up the paths he went, along the cliff beyond the western wing of town.

The lighthouse was positioned, guarding the harbor from the end of the point. It did seem a likely hideout for Emil.

Sure enough, the magic intensified the closer Weiss got, the currents running vivid and bold. The magic kept intensifying, and eventually Weiss had to dull his perception.

Emil was just _impressive_ like that.

Weiss hovered up to one of the broken windows of the lighthouse and darted inside, slowing himself as he took stock of the interior. He recalled the base level of the lighthouse a little differently than it was now. For starters, it had looked somewhat _lived in_. Now the room was vacant, stripped clean of its items. He presumed that all of the valuables within had been sold or given away to whoever in town.

For some reason he hadn’t expected _this_ , and couldn’t help but take pause at the revelation.

The town would lie to the old crone for years and years to postpone an inevitable, painful truth… but as soon as she passed, they’d empty her house so utterly?

Weiss shook himself of the thought. He had to focus. The lad… where was he?

“Emil? Emil! Are you here?” he called out.

He didn’t hear anything. Could he be mistaken? Weiss fanned a hair’s breath between his pages, breathing in to absorb magic. He gagged viciously, clamping shut.

Emil was here, alright. He was just not answering, annoyingly enough.

Weiss floated out the door and around the lighthouse’s spiraling exterior to the next level, calling out again, “Emil! It is I, Grimoire Weiss.”

Weiss grumbled, poking around the few remaining overturned barrels and boxes scattered around. He didn’t find Emil, all he saw were the personal effects of this woman, like old garments and other odds and ends deemed undesirable tossed in together in a saddening mess.

He bit back a natural urge to organize this sorry sight, but a soft murmur drew his ear. Weiss ascended once more to yet another sparse room. He swung around, peering into the remnants of the upper bedroom. A few disheveled crates and other miscellany were scattered around, but to the southern side, positioned between the tall, oddly elegant windows, sat the bed frame… the one he presumed the old woman had died upon.

Emil was leaning against the side of the bed, amongst a rack and a few baskets that had somehow miraculously not been carted off.

“Hey, Weiss,” Emil greeted him in a small voice.

The Grimoire could tell that the lad had been crying. Well, now his shyness made sense. Weiss didn’t much like being found when he was in such a state.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, even though he knew the answer was wholly _‘no’_.

Emil took a moment to answer, wrapping his arms around his legs. “They—they _ran_ from me…”

Weiss felt the heart he didn’t have drop low. Just around a million responses boiled through the ink of his pages, but most of them were indignant and sharp.

_How dare these idiots make the lad sad?! What right did they have?!_

The Grimoire took a moment to collect himself.

Emil spoke up again, clarifying with some hesitance, “w-well, it wasn’t _everyone_ that ran. I was trying to find you guys. I was worried, even Kainé had gone looking for Nier. So I went into town… and I tried to not get in anyone’s way but…” Emil shifted, letting go of his legs and opening up a bit, “there was this old man who got startled by me. He fell down, and then the other people were scared by that, like I’d—they acted like I’d pushed him! I wouldn’t do that!”

Emil could emote even less then Weiss himself, but the book sensed the longing for approval.

But Emil didn’t give him time to respond, “and then when I went to help him, someone yelled at me. I think they thought I was a… a shade. And then there were guards. And… and then I—I flew away… and I came here.”

“I remembered that the old lady died here. I started thinking about how sad that was… so… I started crying,” Emil admitted.

Weiss sunk down a few inches in the air. “ _…Emil._ ”

“Pretty stupid, huh?” the boy reflected poorly on himself.

Weiss stopped himself from being rude, since that statement was horrendously untrue. Weiss tried furiously to calculate a more tactful response.

“Emil… I’m sure none of the townsfolk would think you a monster if they met you for true. Everyone is simply… _on edge_ because of the relentless shades,” Weiss kept to the facts, “it’s not you they’re concerned over. They’re just… terrified of life.”

The Grimoire added with a dry, humorless chuckle, “they’re even starting to question _what I am._ ”

“I think I was crying about that too, about how everyone’s so scared these days,” Emil realized, “but yeah, you’re right, Weiss.”

Weiss agreed, “I am right.”

“I hope they don’t start forcing you to stay outside of town, or the village!” Emil was making himself even more upset, “Nier would hate that. He’d never go back to civilization again.”

The boy fretted over _that_ , of all things.

“Bah, don’t worry about us,” Weiss spoke candidly, “if they kick us out, then to hell with them!”

“Wow… You swore, Weiss,” Emil commented, a little shocked, “you _never_ do that.”

“I am… very weary, truth be told,” Weiss allowed himself to be honest, and continued to speak openly, “I don’t understand what makes you different from me. What makes _you_ unsightly in their eyes? If only they could see your nature, Emil; _your_ magic, they would be _in awe_.”

Emil recoiled at that blatant praise. He had no idea how to take it… so he opted to discard it.

“You don’t have to be so nice about it, Weiss,” he spoke timidly, “my magic’s scary… There’s so much. I could really hurt people.”

“What?! I’m not _‘being nice’_ about it! I don’t appease people. I don’t have time! I’m telling you the truth!” Weiss grumped at him, continuing to compliment the boy, “now see here, there’s a special beauty to your magic that is unlike mine or any other beast’s. And that’s just of your superficial qualities! You by far are the better part of all of us. You are kind and benevolent beyond reason, and _that_ is a key reason as to why everyone should be _awed_ by you. Do not call me a liar again, or I might just compliment you some more!” somehow the Grimoire made that sound like a threat.

Emil stared at him, silenced by the kind tirade. He began to curl inward again.

“ _Weiss…_ ” Emil was trying not to cry.

The Grimoire groaned at such feeble emotions, but nonetheless hovered closer to the boy, bumping into him. Emil jerked a tad, surprised to see the book so close. Weiss made no hints of moving, staying close to him. Emil hesitated before he reached out and gingerly grabbed the book, enfolding him into a hug.

Weiss rested against the lad’s ribcage, feeling every tremor that shook through his bones. Slowly but surely, the heaves grew fewer and fewer, until Emil no longer choked up as he spoke.

“Thanks… for helping me feel better,” he looked down at Weiss.

The Grimoire hovered backwards, relieved to have his space back, even if the gesture of closeness did feel nicer than he liked to admit.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

Emil started, “oh! You were looking for me… I bet I have Nier and Kainé worried sick!”

Weiss cleared his ‘throat’ and tried his best to sound convincing, “ah, well, yes. They… sent me to find you. They’re worried, all right.”

Emil got to his feet, fishing out his staff from the stacked up canes and rolled up mats.

“We should get going,” he told Weiss, “I hope I haven’t made everyone late.”

“No. You shouldn’t have made anyone late,” Weiss informed the lad, “as far as I know, Nier and Kainé are at the beach.”

Emil stopped dead, twisting his orb of a head around like an owl to look at Weiss.

“Huh?!”

“They’re practically playing there right as we speak. Or at least, I hope they haven’t gotten into trouble,” Weiss mentioned under his breath, “can never tell with those two.”

“ _Playing at the beach_?” The boy was incredulous, and a bit miffed. “Why didn’t Kainé tell me!?”

Emil was already floating out the door.

“I told her to,” Weiss claimed, and followed suit.

Emil made a disgusted sound in reaction as he sailed down from the upper floors of the lighthouse to the beaches below.

Soon, Nier and Kainé caught sight of a couple flying objects moving toward them from the direction of the lighthouse.

“Looks like they found each other,” Kainé mentioned, stepping out of the water while cradling her catch of shells. She trudged through the looser sands, dumping the lot near Beastlord. A few strays pinged harmlessly against the austere blade, decorating it with their natural whimsy.

As she went back, Emil descended down directly in front of her, blocking the way.

“What’s up?” Kaine asked.

Emil was scrutinizing her. _Judging_ her.

Kainé could tell something was off. She walked closer. “What’s wrong, Emil?”

Emil brandished his staff, holding it high so that it glistened in the sunlight, and then bonked her on the head.

“Ow!” Kainé staggered backwards, nearly falling. The hit wasn’t hard in the slightest, but it was certainly shocking coming from Emil of all people. “What the fuck?!”

“No hitting,” Nier said in passing as he carried his own load of shells to dump at the collection spot.

“You didn’t invite me!” Emil crossed his arms at Kainé.

“What?” Kainé scrunched her nose, rubbing at her head.

“To the BEACH PARTY!”

“The…? The beach _party_?” Kainé was bewildered, and glanced around to the others for support.

“Well, why didn’t you invite him, Kainé?” Weiss chimed in.

“What are you talking about?!” she raised her voice.

“Do… do you not want me here?” Emil’s bouncy float began to sag.

“What? No! Just stop hitting me!” Kainé gestured animatedly.

“ _Beach party_ ,” Nier repeated as he returned, having heard the whole thing. He looked knowingly in Weiss’ general direction.

“Yes, a beach party!” Weiss confirmed, playing right along, “you wouldn’t cancel it after all we’ve been through today, mmm?”

Nier closed his eye, relenting to Weiss’ scheme.

“Sorry we left you, Emil,” he apologized, “but you didn’t miss much. Kainé and I are just looking for shells.”

“Oh!” Emil’s tone jumped from annoyance to sparkling just like that. He clasped his bony hands together. “That sounds fun!”

Nier took a deep breath before he set out explaining how to find sea shells, “what you do is, you don’t sit there, you don’t dig, you—”

But Emil was already several steps ahead.

The lad hovered out over the water and then proceeded to turn himself upside down, mid-air, and submerge his head down in the water, much akin to a reversed periscope.

Nier was speechless. Kainé couldn’t find words either.

Emil roved around merrily in such a position, taking his time, floating on by.

“Certainly an _interesting_ form he has,” Weiss observed humorously.

It was the most ridiculous thing they’d ever seen, which was why not one of them could tear their eyes away.

Emil extended his arms into the water along with his head (keeping the rest of his body high and dry still) and began to snatch up as many shells as he could carry, threading fans through his fingers and clutching cone shells with his thumbs.

Nier and Kainé were both shown up by Emil’s extreme collecting prowess in short order. Eventually, Nier just gave up, and sat on the dense packed sand of the shore, watching contentedly as Kainé and Emil poked around in the shallows together. Weiss joined him, using the notch in his should as a perch above the pesky sands.

Nier watched as clouds formed out at sea, wondering idly at how far the horizon stretched on, and what was beyond. He’d come to terms with most likely never knowing that answer, but the slight possibility of seeing beyond this small part of the world still excited something deep inside. It was good that that hadn’t been extinguished in all his years alive.

The sky was beginning to shift from bright blues to dusky yellow. Soon, the period of rest would be upon them as the skies shaded bronze.

Had they really spent all day out here?

Nier felt a tug on his hair ties, and shivered at the sensation of his hair falling down his back. He shot an accusatory glance at Weiss, and sure enough, a tendril of dark magic was slipping back into those pages.

“What’d you do that for?” Nier patted at his hair.

“It’s wet. You should let it air out,” Weiss told him as he inclined another lash of darkness to push back the feisty fringe of short hairs hanging over the man’s face.

Nier felt the magic linger, running down his cheekbone, almost like a… caress?

“Uh, Weiss?” Nier could feel the ghost of a touch run along his jaw and under his chin. “ _Weiss._ ”

“What?” the Grimoire sounded completely innocent, “you look… _good_ right now. Relaxed. It’s a good look.”

Weiss’ voice turned wistful, “I’m just admiring it while it lasts is all.”

Nier wasn’t used to such brazen affection out in the open, and he could feel heat rising to his face. He grunted and tried to think of something to change the subject, to divert Weiss’ attention.

“Hey!” Kainé shouted at the two on the shore, dragging Weiss from his admiration.

Nier let out a breath of relief.

She waved an arm around, calling out, “hey, book! Can you tell me what this thing is?” Kainé jammed a finger down at the water beside her.

“Kainé, don’t!” Emil protested.

“Are you sincerely asking _me_ to explain something to _you, hussy_?” Weiss droned with suspicion.

“Yeah, asshole,” Kainé confirmed, “now get over here and tell me what it is.”

“This is certainly a surprise…” Weiss mumbled in Nier's ear as he lifted off of him and hovered over the waves. Once in her vicinity, the book angled down, attempting to peer through the ripples and foam.

“I can’t see a thing,” he reported, trying to espy whatever this strange matter was. “Where is it?”

“Right there,” Kainé said and poked a finger into the water directly beneath Weiss. “Are you going blind, gramps?”

“Gramps?!” Weiss would show her!

He followed where she was pointing, hovering dangerously close to the surface.

“I still don’t see—”

Kainé took her hand and slammed Weiss down, the dunking sound loud enough to startle Emil and Nier alike, but nowhere near as loud as the horrible squelch and subsequent tempest of sea foam and blood magic following.

Kainé tried to escape, but there was no place to run.

Weiss resurfaced in a whirlwind, flipping the host of his pages through the water and tumbling, dishing out so many splashes per second he looked like a water wheel from hell. Kainé couldn’t escape, so she rounded on him and went for the tackle.

Emil made noises of disgust and came ashore, the squabbling ruining the fun for him as they merrily tore up the seabed with their tussle. Nier flinched as the two wrapped each other up and slammed into the surf together, geysers-worth of water spraying into the air all around.

So much for shell hunting.

“Uh, anyway…” Emil broke his attention away from the fighting in the shallows, lifting up his drape covering in which he’d placed all the shells he’d collected before the terrors had struck the sea.

"Here’s what I found, Nier. Do you… do you wanna see em?” he asked bashfully.

“Sure, why not?” Nier acquiesced with a kind nod.

Emil passed him shell after shell, excited to learn if Nier knew anything about any of them. Which was nothing. Nier had no clue what any of these were, unsurprisingly.

Emil handed him a majestically marbled conch, and thereafter many of the hardened sides of fallen mollusk and conical spirals alike.

“Wow, these are nice, Emil,” Nier couldn’t keep his voice from drifting to reassurance. It was practice from years of appreciating the pebbles and wild flowers he'd been gifted by Yonah.

Emil picked up on that, replying with a bright, “thanks!”

It was heartening to see Emil having fun for once, and Nier, without even thinking, patted the boy on the head, ruffling over Emil’s curved dome as if he had hair.

Kainé and Weiss’ fight had died down to the two throwing half hearted splashes and petty insults alike at increasingly intermittent intervals. It seemed they were finally running out of steam.

Nier glanced back and noticed Emil waiting on him. The boy was clutching one particular shell, keeping it close to his ribcage like a prized card. Then, in a deliberate motion, held it up between his finger bones, forcing Nier to notice it.

“Huh?” Nier squinted at the shell, leaning back as it was shoved a bit too close for his tired eye to focus properly.

He wasn’t sure why he was staring at this, other than maybe it was by far the prettiest shell they’d found that day. It had an otherworldly hue to it, almost like an opal.

“I-I want you…” Emil stopped, his voice breaking, “I-I want you… to _keep_ this one. For yourself. Promise not to sell it.”

Emil handed it to him, and even Nier could detect a small tremble in the boy’s bones as he passed the shell.

Nier’s brow furrowed, and he gently took the gift, scrutinizing its ridges as he thought of what to say.

“D-do you like it?” Emil asked.

Nier assured him, “yeah. I really like it. It’s the best one. Thanks."

He'd been given many gifts, but he had a sense this one wasn't just from a place of familial love. Nier's chest hurt. 

He turned the opalescent shell over in his hand, and exhaled softly before passing the gift back to Emil.

" _You_ should keep this, Emil,” Nier spoke softly, but firmly, “I’ll just end up breaking it by accident."

“Oh.” Emil hesitantly took it back. "…I—I guess you’re right."

The boy shuffled backwards, tucking his arms back under his coverings. He avoided Nier’s eye, shying away dejectedly. Eventually, Emil decided to gather up the shells he had shown Nier, nestling the back on the crook of his draping. He carried them over to the pile, which by now had helplessly buried _Beastlord_ , leaving Nier to himself.

Weiss approached as soon as Emil was gone, having waiting along the sidelines for a moment.

“Hey, you didn’t drown,” Nier remarked as Weiss floated near. 

Weiss was sopping wet, covers hanging ajar to air himself out. Nier choked on the smell wafting his way. He was one of the unfortunate few men alive who knew well that a wet Grimoire was one of the worst stenches one could sniff.

The Grimoire inclined his facing over in Emil’s direction. “Letting him down easy, hm?”

"What? The shell? Are you saying something, Weiss?” Nier asked, and added a joke to lighten the mood, “jealous of a kid?"

Weiss slowly pivoted. Nier could feel the glare emanating.

“That’s not funny,” Weiss stated.

Nier shied away. “I was just messin’ with ya. Move over. You're dripping on ne."

Weiss sighed and moved along. “The boy truly does care for you.”

“Yeah… It’s weird,” Nier agreed, doubts starting to broil, “should I have said something else?”

“I believe the chat he requires is more within _my_ realm of expertise,” Weiss said.

“ _Your_ realm?” Nier sounded skeptical.

“Yes,” Weiss masked his annoyance at that, “the realm of approaching delicate subjects with more than a balled fist.”

“What about a _dark_ fist?”

Weiss finally caved and snickered at that attempt.

Nier got up, knocking as much of the sand off his leathers as he could, which was barely any at all. He contemplated the whole matter further, watching as Kainé trudged up the beach after Emil. A terrible premonition gripped Nier.

“You don’t think Kainé…? You know…?” he trailed off.

Weiss ceased all movement, answering quickly, “er… No? Not at all!” he paused a beat, “why? Do you detect anything to the contrary?”

Nier scowled as he thought about the idea some more. He shook his head finally. “Nope. And I don’t wanna think about it, either.”

The young woman was retrieving her shoes, slinging the sand out of them around her. She called over to Nier, mid-swing, “what are we gonna do with all these damn shells?”

It was a good question. The swarm bad utterly consumed _Beastlord_ and encircled the beach surrounding.

“Dunno!” Nier replied.

“You said sell ‘em," she mentioned.

Nier raised his brow. “I did _not_ expect to get this many. I don’t think there’s a shell _left_ out there.”

“I guess we just take them with us, then. I’m sure someone will be in dire need of shells,” Weiss jested, but sadly he was probably right. Nier always got some of the weirdest shopping lists. "I hope you brought a cart."

Nier shook his head and unfolded the cloth bag he kept looped around his sash, u furling it and gesturing for the kids to pile the seashell loot in.

“Sky’s gone gold,” Kainé observed, “we should head back to camp.”

“Good idea,” Nier seconded, tying the pack up with one of his extra hairbands.

“Yeah… I’m pretty tired,” Emil agreed with them both, weariness tinging his chipper voice, “beach parties are exhausting!”

With the shells secured, the old warrior tightened his shin guards over his legs and slipped on his sandals, finally mounting _Beastlord_ on his back where it belonged.

The group climbed up the cliffs as the sky turned a deep bronze. No darker than that did it ever go, yet even so the lessening of the light told them that it was time for the cycle of rest to begin anew.

Nier took pause there on the top of the incline, letting Kainé and Emil go on without him. He gazed back out over the sea from the new vantage, admiring its amber tones once more before turning inland for the rest of the day. The glorious ocean breeze flowed still, running through his finally dried loose hair.

The breadth of the sea reflected the glow of the sky, turning the ocean to liquid gold.

Weiss gazed out at it with him, content in sharing the moment of peace. 

A haunting cast over Nier’s features, darkening his eye. “I always wanted to bring Yonah here,” he finally said it aloud—what he’d been thinking all day.

“ _And we will._ ”

Nier started. That wasnt Weiss' voice. He turned around to find Kainé striding up beside him. She gave him a once-over, wrinkling her brow.

She punched him in the shoulder, somehow having the notion that if she hit him hard enough he’d stop looking so glum.

“We _will_ ,” she repeated, eyes gleaming with sincerity.

Emil bobbed up to them, giving a warm, simple, “yep!”

“I find it hard to argue with _that_ ,” Weiss concurred, hovering just over Nier’s shoulder, where he’d been since the day they met.

Nier didn’t know what to do with all of this. He never had. He felt… good. Maybe this was happiness, in some form or another?

He stared at his soggy, sand-caked friends, basking in that moment. And then he started feeling silly.

“I… uh, I still don’t know what we’re doing,” Nier said awkwardly, clearing his throat, “I don’t know where we’re supposed to go to finish that stone key.”

“First, we rest, then we plan our next action,” Weiss declared the next steps in his stead, “the resting part is important, Nier.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he nodded along to appease Weiss, “I hear ya.”

Kainé turned away with a curt, "pick up the pace. I'm starving."

“Hey, Kainé! Can we roast some—”

“No,” she cut him off abruptly, “we ran out of marshmallows, remember?”

“Aw…”

She then asked, “Weiss, do you still have the sausage?”

“I believe I do, actually,” Weiss replied, checking his pages.

“Ooh! _Sausage_ ,” Emil added extra pizazz to the word as he rushed ahead, “I’m starting the fire!”

“Don’t blow up the tents!” Kainé called after him. “I swear to God…” she muttered, jogging after the lad. But it was an affectionate muttering, Nier could tell.

Weiss was buzzing around Nier, the motion telling the old man without words that he was going too slow.

“You don’t need me to carry you, do you?” the book teased.

Nier waved him off. Up ahead he could hear Kainé and Emil bickering over the size of the fire.

Thankfulness, that was what Nier was feeling. He was so glad they were here with him now.

He figured they would all rest easy that night, all in thanks to one another...

...and every night, together, until their world finally ended. 


End file.
